The East Carolina women’s basketball team secured a significant 66-57 victory over South Florida on the road Saturday, fueled by a standout performance from Amiya Joyner. Joyner dominated with 23 points, 11 rebounds, three steals, and two blocks, leading the Pirates to their first win over South Florida since February 15, 2015, and their first victory in Tampa since December 20, 2009.
The game started slowly, with both teams struggling offensively, shooting a combined 7-of-25 (28%) in the first quarter. The Pirates (16-13, 10-7 AAC) held the Bulls (20-10, 13-4) scoreless for over five minutes during the opening period, while turnovers (15) outnumbered made field goals in the first 10 minutes.
South Florida briefly took the lead in the second quarter with a 7-0 run, but the Pirates responded quickly. A precise pass from Jayla Hearp to Joyner helped ECU take a three-point lead into halftime. Joyner, who scored 11 points in the first half, stayed hot after the break, finishing 10-of-14 from the field and recording her 11th career 20-point double-double.
The Pirates came out strong in the third quarter, with Devin Hagemann hitting a three-pointer to spark a 6-2 run, forcing a South Florida timeout less than two minutes into the half. Although the Bulls closed the gap to one point twice, ECU ended the quarter on a 12-5 run to take an eight-point lead into the fourth. South Florida tried to rally early in the final period, with Romi Levy hitting a three-pointer to cut the deficit to five, but the Pirates pulled away with a 6-0 run, extending their lead to 62-51 with 3:51 left.
The Pirates will wrap up their regular season by hosting UTSA at 6 p.m. on Tuesday.
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